Together with Drew Weissman, they have received the world’s greatest scientific recognition for their discoveries on nucleoside modification, which also enabled the development of an mRNA-based vaccine against COVID-19.
The researchers’ presentation was the lead-up to the Nobel Prize award ceremony on Sunday in the Karolinska Institutet Hall.
Catalin Carrico gave her lecture titled mRNA development in medicine, which attracted great interest.
He began his speech by saying, “I am very excited because I have never given a lecture in front of such a large audience.” He added that he was excited simply because he had to warm up the audience for the presentation of his colleague Drew Weisman, who will discuss the present and future of mRNA technology.
In his presentation, he noted the most important milestones in mRNA research from 1961, when mRNA was discovered, to the present day. He remembered the scientists who had a major role in the research, and summarized the stages of his scientific work and the diligent research that led him from one result to another.
He presented their research with Drew Weisman and included publications related to their findings.
In his dynamic speech, accompanied by a predictable presentation, he also emphasized the importance of research work and mentioned his own example regarding the difficulties of a scientific career, stressing that one should not give up, but rather one should always focus on the next task.
In his presentation, he referred to his years at the University of Szeged as an important starting point. In his speech of thanks at the end of the lecture, he emphasized how important his previous school was to him, where he obtained his academic foundations.
According to the report of the current M1 channel correspondent on site, the event was attended by an audience of approximately 650 people, whose members filled the hall in half an hour. The audience included professors, medical students, and guests of honor. Among the Hungarian guests present were biologist Eva Kondorossi, virologist Ferenc Jakab, medical researcher Tamás Gábor Szabó, co-director of BioNTech, and Adrian Müller, Hungarian ambassador to Stockholm.
